Caster



J. BOWEN March 31. 1925.

EASTER Filed March 22, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet l 4March 31. 1925. 1,532,032

J. BOWEN CASTER Filed March 22. 1922 C5 Sheets-Sheet 5H Patented Mar. 31, 1925.

ATN'T FFCE.`

JAMES BOWEN, 'OF MANI-IEIM, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 BOND FOUNDRY AND MACHINE COMPANY, O'F MANHEIM, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORFORATIUN 0F PENN- SYLVANIA.

CASTER.

Application filed March 22, 19532. Serial No. $5,777.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES BOWEN, a citizen ot the United States, residing in Manheim, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, have invented the Caster, ot which the following is a specilication.

One object of my invention is to provide a novel form ot truck caster embodying bearings which shall be self-contained or inio dependent ot the caster body, together with novel means for retaining said bearings in position.

I also desire to provide a sel'f-oilng caster with novel means for preventing threads,

ia etc., gathering on its hub and axle, which .means are preferably integral with independent bearing structures supporting suoli axle.

The invention further contemplates a i@ simple, substantial, relatively inexpensive 1to1-m ottl caster incli'iding novel means for supplying lubricant to its axle and whose construction shall be such as to permit of the parts being quickly and conveniently as- 1-` sembled. y

These objects and other advantageous ends I attain as hereinafter set forth, reterence being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figures l and 2 are respectively side and end elevations of a truck caster constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3, Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line i-4,

Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5 5,

Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a detached perspective view of io on ot the bearings;

Fig. 7 is a sectional perspective view et' one of the bearings;

Fig. 8 is a vertical section ot a modified lorm ot the invention, and

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary vertical section illustrating another modiiication.

Vreferring to Figs. l to 3 ot' the above drawings, l represents a substantially fiat supporting plate having a pair ot' substantially parallel depending arms 2 whose lower ends are upwardly slotted for the recep tion oit a pair ot bearings 3. The slots in the ends ot the arms 2 have their upper ends ot angular form, and it is noted that the bodies of the bearings 3 while generally cylindrical, are transversely notched or grooved to non-rotatably receive the branches 4 of the arms as well as angularly termed to tit the angular ends ot the slots, see Figs. i and 6. It will be observed that rotative movement ot each box is prevented by the engagement ot the reduced non-cir cular section with the sides of the corresponding slot. It will be 'further observed that shoulders are formed at the edges o1c the transversely notched sections which tit or engage the sides of the arm to prevent any longitudinal movement. By means ot bolts 5 extending between the branches 4 4 ot each arm 2, the` two bearings may not only be prevented from falling out et the slots but are rigidly clamped therein.

As shown in Fig. 3, each of the bearings 3 consists et a hollow sleeve or substantially cylindrical body closed at one end and formed with a bell-mouthed enlarO'ement or guard flange 9 at its opposite or open end. These two bearings together serve to rotatably support a spindle 6 having xed to it a caster wheel or roller '7. rihe wheel has a hub 8 and a tread 10 with a relatively thin connecting web between them. is formed with plane outer faces engaging or lying immediately adjacent to and paral` lel with the open ends oi the bearings 3 so that the bell-mouthed portions 9 et the latter extend over the hub and between the hub and the tread to within relatively short distances of the web or body of the wheel. rhis construction ellectually prevents threads or other objects gathering either on the hub 8 or on the axle G.

Each of the bearings adjacent its closed end is formed with a; enlarged chamber l1 constituting a lubricant reservoir having an opening into its top normally closed by a threaded or other suitable plug l2, and within the lower portion of this reservoir is mounted a body 13 oi suitable lubricant absorbing material such as felt, which extends not only into the reservoir 1l but under and in contact with the adjacent end of the shaft or axle 6. Between the reservoir 1l and the open end of the bearing is an annular recess for the reception et a body of packing la whereby leakage of lubricant from said reservoir is eitectually prevented.

lVhile the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 3 is that preferably used by me, I may in some cases and under certain conditions em The hub 8' ploy independent bearings 31 mounted in the suitably slotted arms 21 but lacking in the bell-mouthed extensions 9, as shown in Fig. S. These independent bearings 3 as be'fore are removably clamped between the branches of their respective arms by bolts 5, and While they each have a lubricant reservoir lla and a body 13n of lubricant-retaining material in engagement with the axle 6, in this case l omit the annular oil retaining packing lila ln this torni of my invention the reservoirs il have upwardly opening passages 1G through which oil or other lubricant may be conveniently supplied, the castel' wheel T rotating between the arms 2a With the substantially plane faces ot its hub respectively gaged by the laces ol the open ends of die bearing vstructure 3u.

In both forms of the invention it will be noted that each of the bearings is a sellcontained device independent el but removably held in the supporting framework 1*-2 or l-2EL and includes some means, such as the retaining material or packing 13 or 13 for supplying lubricant from the rese2-oir to theshatt. H desired, as shovvn in Fig. 9, l may extend each end of the axle G Well into the lubricant reservoir and provide it with an oil ring 17 for transi'ierriini to it the lubricant in said reservoir. ln such ease'the plug l2 would be replaced by a cap 12 lor the opening Whose dimensions Would be such as to permit o'I the introduction ol the oil ring.

l claim:

l. The con'ibination in a caster, of a trame having slotted, depending arms; two bearing boxes shaped to lit the slots in the arms; bolts extending below the bearings for drawing the members of the arms firmly upon the boxes; a wheel located between the boxes; a spindle on which the Wheel is mounted, said spindle extending into each box, each box being` shaped to form a reservoir for lubricant; and means, in each box, for supplying the spindle with lubricant.

2. The combination in a caster, of a 'frame having slotted, depending arms; a Wheel; a spindle on `which the wheel is mounted; two independent bearing `boxes 'for the spindle, said bores being mounted in the arms of the iframe, each bot; being closed at its outer end and having a cavity therein l'or lubricant; and means for supplying` the spindle with lubricant.

The combination in a caster oi' a trame having slotted depending arms; a Wheel; a spindle on which the Wheel is mounted; two

independent bearing boxes for the spindle closed at their outer ends and mounted respectively in the arms of the frame, each bor; being provided with a cavitv for lubricant and With an annular groove surrounding the spindle near the Wheel, means in the cavity for supplying lubricant to the spindle, and packing in the annular groove acting to retain the lubricant on the spindle.

fl. rlhe combination in a caster, ot a trame having two parallel slotted depending arms, aivh'eel between the arms, a spindle on which the Wheel is mounted, and tivo independent bearing boxes fitting 'the spindle and at their1 inner laces engaging the lvdieel to hold it in place, each bearing bei; being provided with a non-circular section enten ing and fitting the slot in the corresponding arm to prevent rotative movement and being also provided with shoulders adjacent the non-circular section fitting the sides of the arm to prevent longitudinal movement.

5. rllhe combination in a easter, of a freine which the ivnecl is mounted, two independent bearing boxes 'iitting the spindle and at their inner faces engaging the Wheels to hold it in place, each bearing box being provided with a non-circular section entering and fitting the slot in the corresponding arm to prevent rotative movement, and being also provided with shoulders adjace` t the noincircular section `fitting the sides of the arm to prevent longitudinal movement, and bolts extending across the slots below the boxes for drawing the branches ol the arms together and thereby clamping the boxes.

G. The combination in a caster, ol a trame having tivo parallel slotted dependingarms, a Wheel between the arms having a hub projectingv on each side ot the Web thereof, a spindle on which the wheel .is mounted, two independent bearing boxes fitting the spindle and at their inner faces engaging the wheel 'to hold it in place, each bearing box being provided with a non-circular section entering` and fitting the slot inthe corresponding arm to prevent rotative movement, and being also provided vv'ith shoulders adjacent the non-circular section litting the sides ol the arm to prevent longitudinal movement, and guard flanges on the bearing boxes extending inward around the hub oi" the wheel into close proximity with the iveo thereof.

JAMES BO VEN. 

